New Policies for Kitchener Parkland

By Peggy Nichols
Victoria Park Neighbourhood Association

Thanks to a consistent groundswell of public support and the spirited pushback of Councillor Sarah Marsh, Kitchener has a new Parkland Dedication plan, policy, and bylaws.  In a surprising turnaround on August 22, Council voted in favour of Staff’s original Spaces proposal from June, rather than a revised one containing additional concessions to developers.  These were made because of concerns that otherwise Council would vote against the whole package, leaving no updated bylaws and crippling the city’s parkland dedication process.  Highlights of the motion are:

1. Parkland fee exemption for developers in the downtown core be eliminated, effective immediately. Developers who have submitted applications have 12 months to complete the process, or pay the fee. All new development applications across the city must pay the new cash-in lieu rate of up to $11, 862. Some developers and councillors proposed the transition period be extended to 24, 36 or even 60 months.

2. Credit for developers building POPS (Privately Owned Public Spaces) be limited to 25%. A number of Councillors made motions to increase it to 100%, 75%, 50% - all of these motions failed.

3. That parkland dedication requirements be waived for new non-profit housing.

While many of us are relieved by this outcome, it’s not all we would have hoped for.  Kitchener is in the lower tier of Ontario communities in the parkland/resident ratio.  The entire premise of the Spaces proposal was to create a roadmap to increase the overall ratio throughout the city.   Wards 9 and 10 need to continue to pressure Council to address their lack of greenspace.  Because we are in the downtown core, our neighbourhoods will never have the same ratio of greenspace per resident as the suburbs do, and this need for parkland will only increase with downtown intensification. 

Kitchener also has one of Ontario’s lowest cash-in-lieu development fee for cities of our size.  Waterloo charges $2,500 more and Vaughn three times more.  As Councillor Marsh noted, Kitchener should not be in “a race for the lowest”, in response to Councillor Singh’s comment that we need to have compassion for developers.  Although the tax relief for POPS was held at 25%, only one other city offers this bonus and no other city is offering a transition period to date.

As citizens and neighbourhoods that care about climate change and urban livability, we have a strong voice.  Be ready to raise yours!